


14

by writinginthesecrettrees



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:41:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23913994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writinginthesecrettrees/pseuds/writinginthesecrettrees
Summary: Winchester birthdays are too-sweet chocolate frosting, weirdly greasy prepacked cake, and cream filling that isn’t made from cream, and most importantly is his brother but this year Dean isn’t here.
Kudos: 11





	14

That morning Sam wakes up before the sun, which wouldn’t be unusual if Dad was there but Dad’s on a hunt. Any other day, Sam would sleep in, but that morning Sam wakes up early.

He lies in bed until ten, stares at the ceiling and doesn’t move until his bladder is screaming at him to take care of business. After that he gets dressed, forces himself through the daily routine of brushing teeth and tying shoes and then sits at the rickety table, stares at his backpack.

He should be in school, but Dad started taking Dean with him on some hunts this year, and it’s the first time Sam’s been alone on his birthday. They were supposed to be back yesterday. Dean won’t forget, though. He’ll call.

The phone rings at eleven and Sam leaps to answer it, out of breath and “Hello?” 

A robot answers him, pre-recorded message telling Mr. Winchester that his son missed class today, and Sam almost throws the receiver against the wall. Sets it gently back on its cradle instead, because if it’s broken Dean won’t be able to call.

He’s hungry then, has been all morning but it didn’t feel real earlier. There’s bologna and cheese in the minifridge, bread on the counter, and that’s Sam’s birthday lunch. 

At one Sam pulls out his math book. They’re behind his last school a bit, but it doesn’t matter. He works ahead like always, reads through a chapter and then dives into the exercises. He should go out for his jog, Dad’ll be pissed if he skips, but that would mean leaving the phone and he doesn’t want to miss it when Dean calls. After math there’s history, and Spanish, and Sam saved the best for last: English, and they’re reading Steinbeck and Sam didn’t think anyone else understood the quiet struggle of survival and what it’s like to have just one person you’d do anything for but Steinbeck. Steinbeck gets it.

He finishes the book with tears on his cheeks as the sun is setting, and the silence in the room is deafening. Another bologna sandwich for dinner, and Sam risks a minute’s absence to get a Coke and cream-filled cupcake from the vending machine down the hall, leaves the motel door open so he’ll hear if the phone rings.

It doesn’t.

Sam doesn’t have a candle so he doesn’t bother making a wish before biting into the cupcake. Dad doesn’t believe in birthday wishes, but Dean does, always has a twisty colorful candle to blow out. Last year’s was a trick candle, and he laughed and laughed as Sam tried again and again to get it until finally Dean licked his fingers and pinched the flame out.

“Sorry, Sammy, no wish for you this year,” he’d said, and Sam had almost cried. Dean hugged him, said, “I’m just kidding, I’ve got the real candle,” and Sam had blown that one out grumpily before calling Dean a jerk (he was) and refusing to share the cupcake (which didn’t matter, because there were two in a pack and Dean still got the other one).

Winchester birthdays are too-sweet chocolate frosting, weirdly greasy prepacked cake, and cream filling that isn’t made from cream, and most importantly is his brother but this year Dean isn’t here.

Sam watches a movie while he eats his cupcake, leaves the other untouched in the package for Dean because there’s two and that means they share. He keeps the volume low so he can hear the phone if it rings.

It doesn’t.

He doesn’t check the clock until his eyes feel heavy and he can’t stop yawning, and it’s after two, officially not his birthday, and Dean didn’t call. He’s too tired to be sad now, just turns on his side and is instantly asleep, and he dreams of a ringing phone.

**Author's Note:**

> from my tags on tumblr: if you wanna know Dean's side of it... he and Dad roll in on May 3, around 5 AM, and he sees the leftover cupcake and Sam asleep still dressed, and he hates himself just a little more for missing Sam's birthday this year because the angst is on both sides folks.


End file.
